Poverty very prominent in the city centres of large urban hubs

In 2012 in Metropolitan France, the poverty rate was highest in the North and South-East
and in Seine-Saint-Denis. The poverty rate was highest in the city centres of large
urban areas, where poverty particularly affected single-parent families, large families
and young families, and outside the city areas. There were often great inequalities
in living standards within regions and departments; these were most pronounced in
Paris, in Hauts-de-Seine and in Haute-Savoie, due to the particularly high standard
of living of the wealthy members of the population living there. The median standard
of living was generally higher in urban areas, particularly in the suburbs of the
major large urban centres. For the poorest people, there was a high proportion of
social benefits in their disposable income, although this varied greatly according
to the region; the proportion was greatest in city centres where it represented on
average 46% of disposable income for the 10% poorest people. Conversely, for the most
affluent, the share of property income was dominant: in the city centres, where the
strongest inequalities were often concentrated, it represented on average 30% of disposable
income for the 10% wealthiest people.